AND HERE IS THE NEWS…

….a light look at the latest local news

Foal in a hole – Work had just begun on installing a septic tank in the terrain of a property in Thuir when a young horse fell into the unprotected hole, and became trapped. Firemen and a vet arrived on scene and the animal was removed with the use of slings, a hoist and a JCB, and only suffered superficial wounds.

Sniffer dog success – A young couple about to board a train to Limoges were arrested at Perpignan Station when Eron, a police sniffer dog, detected cannabis and cocaine in their luggage. They admitted that they had come to Perpignan to stock up and resell the drugs in their home town of Limoges. Police (and Eron the dog) went to the home of the dealer where they found a large supply of drugs. They also found a handgun and the passport of the young man from Limoges which the dealer had held because the man had not paid the full purchase price.

Water restrictions still apply – Water levels in the region are still very low, so the prefecture have decided to keep the water restrictions (as reported 2 or 3 weeks ago in this bulletin) in place until the end of October. The Aspres and the Salanque areas are particularly concerned.

The end of the road for petrol and diesel – Don’t panic, this is not due to a shortage or a strike but the fact that thanks to a European directive, the names are changing. From October 12, petrol will be identified by a round label and the letter E, diesel by a square label and the letter B. Hopefully there will be easy to understand explanations marked on the pumps at the service stations.

Fatal stabbing in Cabestany – A man in his thirties died, and his girlfriend was rushed to hospital suffering from stab-wounds, last Friday afternoon. The couples’ 3 children have been taken into temporary foster care while the police continue their investigations;

Who wants to be a millionaire? – If you live in Perpignan you seem to have quite a good chance – for the second time in just a few months, a resident has won 500,000€ on a scratch card. (Not the same resident!). The owner of the ‘tabac’ where the ticket was sold said that the latest winner was a regular customer who normally just buys L’Independent, but on that morning he bought a scratch card – and returned the next morning. They also mentioned that he has not yet bought them any champagne, but they are counting on it!

Millas Accident Inquest – The first reports from the investigation into the tragic accident last December where 6 children lost their lives when their school bus was hit by a train on a level crossing appears to have exonerated SNCF and say that the barriers were down and the accident was caused by the bus braking too late. The bus driver’s lawyer points out that the bus was moving at just 12km per hour, which is slower than the speed of somebody running, so hardly likely to crash through a barrier and into the path of a train. The investigation is still ongoing – and the train-line remains closed.

And finally:

‘We didn’t want to walk so we stole a car’ – This is not a phrase guaranteed to impress any court of law, and so it was in the case of 31 year old Mickael. He was celebrating leaving prison again after spending 13 years of his life on and off behind bars, when he and his stepson decided they felt too tired to walk home. Spotting an open window in a house, he climbed over the garden fence and stole a credit card and car keys from a house. Several days later the police spotted the stolen Range Rover in a car park and questioned the 3 men who were about to get into it. Mickael then blamed his stepson and said that he didn’t know the vehicle was stolen – despite the fact another stolen vehicle was found outside his house. The judge sent him back to prison for a further 2 years – and the 17 year old youth is to face Juvenile Court shortly.

Caroline Manson is an independent Property Consultant – for advice on buying, selling, renting or renovating, don’t hesitate to contact her at caroline@perpignan-properties.com

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